The present invention relates to methods for producing chewing gum. More particularly the invention relates to producing chewing gum containing sodium glycinate, which has been discovered to be a bitterness inhibitor.
Chewing gum compositions often contain ingredients that impart a bitter taste to the chewing gum. Caffeine gives a bitter taste when used in gum. Some typical chewing gum flavoring agents, such as menthol, spearmint oil and peppermint oil, give a bitter taste. Medicants sometimes added to chewing gum also give a bitter taste to the gum.
There are many known bitterness inhibitors, and many of them have been suggested for use in chewing gum, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,822,597 and No. 5,192,563, and Japanese Patent Publication No. 91-251533. Also, the use of flavoring ingredients which have been modified to reduce bitterness have been used in chewing gum, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,009,893; No. 5,372,824 and No. 5,523,105. Still there is a need for a better bitterness inhibitor which can be used in chewing gum to reduce the bitterness of the taste of some chewing gums.